Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) helps create an enabling environment for the councils to become credible and recognised partners to both central government and the private sector in the development process.

Speaking during the Southern District gender committee workshop in Moshupa on April 1, Mr Tsimanyane said BALA built partnership, networks and coalitions with strategic organisations locally, regionally and internationally as well as providing aice and guidance to local authorities.

He added that BALA also formulated common policies on issues of common interest, collaborate and engage in dialogue with central government. Mr Tsimanyane said their programmes included mapping local democracy as well as mainstreaming gender in local governance and local economic development.

BALA, he said, was an organisation of local authorities and an arrangement established in 1984 all over the Southern African Development Community (SADC) while in Botswana, the association was recognised in 2012 through the enactment of the local government act.